Council has 'no plans' to move gym equipment from this Kildare car park

There are “no plans” to move the gym equipment at Abbey Car Park, Celbridge, as the gym is “available for use and is being used”, Kildare County Council has stated.

The council was responding to a motion tabled by Cllr Lumi Panaite Fahey (FG) at a Celbridge-Leixlip Municipal District meeting held on Friday June 20 last.

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Cllr Panaite Fahey motioned “that the council moves the gym equipment at Abbey Car Park, Celbridge to a new location as soon as possible to enable the public to use the limited amenities available in our municipal district.”

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Panaite Fahey said she was “extremely disappointed” with the council's response, which ruled out moving the gym equipment at Abbey Car Park, Celbridge.

She said it is “not safe” for the public to use the gym equipment in the Abbey Car Park.

“Unfortunately”, she said, Celbridge does not have any amenities at the moment, “indoors or outdoors”, and this is why she brought forward her motion, for the gym equipment to be moved else where, where it may be used.

The only amenity in Celbridge at the moment she said, is a playground which is in a “bad state”, and “really not suitable for the size of Celbridge.”

She said she would urge KCC to look at moving the gym equipment from Abbey Car Park to enable the public to use it.

Cllr Rupert Heather (LAB) said he understood the intent of the motion but he couldn't support the idea of moving the gym equipment from Abbey Car Park

He said the Youth Outdoor Spaces Project, of which he is involved with, would be in jeopardy if the gym equipment were to be moved.

He said he understood the reasoning for the motion and that it “came from a good place”, but he did not think “this is the answer.”

Cllr David Trost (FF) said he also understood the “logic” behind the proposal, but that he had observed the equipment being used “quite regularly”.

He said it wasn't a “very comfortable environment”, but it is being used, so that he wouldn't support removing the equipment at this point in time.

A report issued by the local authority stated: “There are no plans to move the gym equipment at Abbey Car Park, Celbridge, the gym is available for use and is being used.”